On Tuesday, the ribbon was cut to mark the opening of the new Field Office for US Citizenship and Immigration Services in Buffalo. The opening of the new office was also celebrated with a ceremony for those who have just received US citizenship.
The new Field Office is situated on Delaware Avenue’s 300 block of space that has recently been renovated and the services on offer in the office include the likes of naturalization interviews, photographic services, fingerprinting and permanent resident processing. Lori Pietropaoli, the Northeast Regional Director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services, says that the office in Buffalo also carries out the Child Citizenship Act program, a national initiative in which children adopted in foreign countries by parents who are US citizens are given US citizenship after just 45 days of their application for legal status.
The grand opening celebration saw the ceremonial swearing in as new citizens of the United States of five young kids from two different families. The Field Operations Directorate and Associate Director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services, Daniel Renauld, told the children that they were joining a very big family of over 300 million people, adults and children, who all proudly share the responsibilities, privileges and rights of being US citizens.
The Buffalo Field Office of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services is expected to serve around 200 people every day from three Pennsylvania counties and as many as 24 counties located in New York state.